Hello everyone. I am currently over 11 months post relaxer. This is my third time trying to go natural and this is the longest I've gone. My last transitioning stint I made it to nine months. This time I want to go all the way.

I am APL in the front, maybe longer in some other places. It looks as if my new growth is a good half of my hair in the front, less in the back. If I put my hair in a puff the new growth extends out of it a little bit.

I am either 4b or 4c, I'm not sure. It seems I have coils in the very back but other areas don't seem to have much of a pattern at all. If I had an Afro I'm pretty sure it would be a true "puff" Afro, not the kind with the random little coils all over. But I can't be too sure because my relaxed hair is still attached.

From what I have been told my hair is very porous. It's not very pliable at all and even though it's always been on the longer side it's never had that shine or that "swing." It tends to be dry but it is very thick.

I have used a flat iron for only two hairstyles since I started transitioning. Both times I used a heat protectant and neither time my hair got straight so hopefully it isn't damaged. The highest I put it on was 420 degrees. It's been 3 1/2 months since I used a flat iron.

I'll add more if I can think of anything other pertinent background information. Hopefully I will learn from patterns in my hair care routine and you guys can help me with any questions that I have. Thanks for reading!

Last time I used pretty much the same products but my hair was a lot softer and more combable. The only difference was last time I used a sulfate clarifying shampoo and instead of shea butter I used Crisco to seal. I was pleased that I still had very little shedding compared to past washes, but my hair was all stuck together I had to put I lot of effort into detangling. I don't know why my hair feels like this. I have been moisturizing and sealing nearly every day since my last wash a week ago.

ETA: I should add that when my hair dries it feels great. It's actually really soft and touchable but kinda greasy from the shea butter. It's only when it's wet that it feels stringy with no slip.

I put my hair in six large twists to dry with a soft bonnet dryer on low. I may start on some yarn braids tonight. Who knows, by the time I take them out I may be ready to BC! Or I may just put on a U-part. We'll see. But it will be some sort of protective style.

Here are some length and texture shots from my previous wash and DC last week since I've already started on my yarn braids. Once I make some progress with the braids I will post pics. These pics were also after a twist out.

It seems I was a bit off the mark with the half new growth/half relaxed estimate. My natural hair does get a lot longer when stretched, though. As you can see in some pics, my new growth is much darker than my relaxed hair. My mom told me that when I was little my hair was coal black, but things like relaxers and sun make it lighter. It's noticeable when my hair is in a ponytail. The contrast was stark, but nice lol. Almost like an ombre.

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